The CID investigator leading the Invesitgiations into the suicide bomb attack on the Kingsbury Hotel Cheif Inspector Yasas Swarna Keerthisinghe appearing before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Attacks revealed that the attacker who carried out the bombing at the Kingsbury Hotel was the one time driver of terror mastermind Zahran Hashim.
Keethisinghe told the commission the CID was able to identify the attacker as Mohamed Azam Mohamed Mubarak from the CCTV footage of the hotel. He said the attacker had been dropped off at the hotel the night before in a red-colored vehicle. The CID officer went on to display the CCTV footage to the commission members. Following the suspect, the CCTV footage then shows him approaching the furthest counter at the reception. Keerthisinghe told the Commission that he believes the attacker did this purposely to avoid the CCTV cameras.
Keerthisinghe also confirmed that the attacker had brought the explosives along with him in the luggage and it was not discovered as no checks were done on the luggage. CCTV footage also showed the attacker entering a room on the 8th floor of the hotel. It was observed that the suspect then leaves the hotel at 8.59 pm taking along a different bag instead of the one he brought along with him.
He had then taken a vehicle for hire and visited a supermarket in the Kolonnawa area around 9.25 pm the same day. The investigator also revealed that the terror suspect had then purchased some food items and gone by foot to the house he lived in to visit his wife and children.
It has also been revealed that the attacker had previously lived in rented homes in Panadura, Mattakkuliya, Grandpass and Dematagoda. Keerthisinghe told the commission that the man had left the house after around one and a half hours and returned to the hotel bringing along a black bag.
Commission was also told that the bomber had rented a house to be used as a safe house in Panadura and a vehicle as well. Investigations have also revealed that the suspect had 32 bank accounts under his name. Keerthisinghe said the CID is carrying out investigations in this regard.
He also informed the commission that the suspect had owned a shoe shop and had from 2018 shied away from the public as he was in debt. He had previously worked for Zahran as his driver, the officer said, revealing their connection. He had also taken part in the explosion of a motorbike in Kattankudy prior to the attack.
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